Crude oil discovered in Benue state

With dwindling fortunes and the activities of militants, the Nigerian government is seriously looking at the possibility of oil in some states apart from the Niger Delta

While Lagos, one of the states that recently discovered oil, is expecting to start receiving 13 percent derivation, Benue has found a quantity

Exploration activities in Benue state may be gradually yielding success as a quantity of crude oil has been discovered.

It is however not yet known if the discovery would be of commercial quantity, but the deputy governor of the state, Engr Benson Abounu, is urging the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) not to relent.

The excitement came as the sole administrator of the Apa local government in the state, Danjuma Solomon, visited the deputy governor to brief him on the discovery of the product in his domain.

According to Solomon, oil seepage was discovered in his local government.

He also spoke about the further discovery of exploratory oil wells drilled in the 1960s by Chevron Nig Ltd.

Engr Abounu said, based on results of several geological investigations, the government was convinced that the state had oil and that exploration is just what was needed.

Benue News reports that Abounu urged the federal government to intensify the search.

In August, 2016 President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to search for oil in state.